Canada says India second-biggest foreign threat to its democracy

A recent special report from a high-level Canadian parliamentary committee has labelled India as the "second-biggest foreign threat" to Canada's democracy. The report named China as the number-one threat. India has been moved up from the third spot in 2019 ahead of Russia in the foreign threat perception index.

"India emerged as the second-most significant foreign interference threat to Canada’s democratic institutions and processes," said the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians report.

"While India’s foreign interference efforts have slowly increased, it became clear during the period of this review that its efforts had extended beyond countering what it perceived as pro-Khalistani efforts in Canada to include interfering in Canadian democratic processes and institutions, including through the targeting of Canadian politicians, ethnic media and Indo-Canadian ethnocultural communities," the report stated.

The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is a body composed of members of the House of Commons and Senate.

Contrary to the 2019 report that identified Russia as the second most significant foreign interference threat, the recent committee report found Russia's engagement in foreign interference activities specifically targeting Canadian democratic institutions and processes to be less than initially assessed.

The committee's report also noted the involvement of Pakistan and Iran in foreign interference activities.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters that the Canadian government took the threat of foreign political interference "very seriously" and stated that the country couldn't be "naive" about authoritarian governments attempting to undermine our democracy, reported the CBC news.

The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) report comes amid strained relations between India and Canada.

Tensions escalated after Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India rejected his claim, which called it "absurd and motivated".

The report alleges that India's interference efforts in Canada have "extended beyond countering" pro-Khalistan elements.

Indian officials have not yet responded to these allegations, but have previously refuted similar claims, accusing Canadian officials of meddling in Indian affairs.

The NSICOP report also suggests that some Canadian Members of Parliament may have been influenced by foreign powers, engaging in inappropriate communication and receiving financial support.

China remains the primary actor in foreign interference, according to the report, which highlights the nation as the "most prolific" in such activities.

China's strategies aim to bolster the legitimacy and stability of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it asserts.

"In its efforts to protect and enhance the legitimacy and stability of the Chinese Communist Party domestically and abroad, the PRC employs a comprehensive approach to targeting and leveraging virtually all aspects of Canada’s democratic processes and institutions to advance its strategic interests," the report states.